After Peach Fuzz last year, Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2025 is… (drumroll)…
Mocha Mousse!
The dreamy soft-focus desktop backgrounds of dandelion clocks, fields of peach-coloured Pampas grass, a fluffy close-up, and a peach-coloured room floating in the clouds are so last year.
Instead, for the announcement of Mocha Mousse, Pantone’s launch images have been glass bowls of mousse, accompanied by curtains, “nature” and “organic” shots, and photographs of smoky brown liquid.
So, this year, Pantone’s Mocha Mousse 17-1230 is a brown, following on from peach, magenta, blue (Very Peri – a blue with a violet-red undertone), grey, blue (Classic Blue), pink (Living Coral), violet, and green. 2025 is the turn of something different, again.
Described as
“…an evocative soft brown that transports our senses into the pleasure and deliciousness it inspires…”
the latest “Colour of the Year” is:
“A warming rich brown hue…” that “nurtures with its suggestion of the delectable quality of cacao, chocolate and coffee, appealing to our desire for comfort.”
Apparently, this year’s choice reflects the global mood and desire for a more grounded and harmonious approach to life.
Earthy tones it is then.
Applications
The applications suggested by Pantone this year have been interesting too; apparel and fashion accessories, hair and beauty, home décor and interior design, plus packaging and multimedia design.
Digital has taken a backseat to the earthy application of the colour to real world instances of people, products, and places.
However, saying that, the official Pantone Colour of the Year 2025 Partners do include Wix Studio whose collaboration with the colour system company resulted in a “limited edition capsule”. To the uninitiated, that’s a collection of design assets for the Wix web creation platform, this year in the earthy tones of Pantone 17-1230.
Other official partners’ offerings in the Mocha Mousse shades have included fabrics, fragrances, wallpaper, and even headphones and a Motorola flip phone. What’s more, the UK launch was celebrated by lighting up The London Eye, the big wheel on the River Thames, in official Mocha Mousse colours. I was in the capital that night but didn’t realise that’s why the Millennium Wheel was so illuminated.
Projects and Palettes
With all the feelings that Pantone have projected through the choice of Mocha Mousse, the colour should convey harmony, comfort, and warmth, even luxury and indulgence.
Of course, whilst your existing brand guidelines may not include such decadent tones, surely there’s an opportunity for a side project to make use of these warm colours? Perhaps a new landing page, or an annual publication?
Pantone’s primary palette featuring Mocha Mousse is ideal for fashion and home décor. Consisting of creams, tans, amber, and complementary tones with names like Safari, and Sirocco, there’s a wealth of options to incorporate this year’s colour into your projects and products.
If those tones are too close, Pantone offers alternative palettes incorporating Mocha Mousse such as “floral pathways”, “uniquely balanced”, “deliciousness” and “subtle contrasts”. Each colourway features complementary and contrasting shades, that can incorporate Colour of the Year 2025 without compromising your core hues.
Clever Marketing’s graphic designers are on hand to develop ideas for your next design project.
So, if you’re thinking about using Mocha Mousse in your latest creations, give our team a call on 01276 402 381 or complete the easy contact form.